Quitting Cocaine and Other Stimulants: Approaches That Work
When I finally tried to get help for my cocaine addiction, my body and mind were shot. I had hit rock bottom, and it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I entered South Shores Detox and Recovery and was able to quit cocaine. But it didn’t come without a fight.
If you’re looking for how to quit cocaine, I can only share my personal experiences and what worked for me.
So, how can you effectively battle a cocaine addiction and attain long-lasting sobriety? The first part, as is the case with any addiction, is you have to want it. You have to be sick and tired of being sick and tired. Some addicts don’t ever want to get clean, while others try numerous times and sometimes never get it.
Quitting Cocaine Requires Mental Toughness
When I quit cocaine, I had to rebuild almost every aspect of my life. My circle of friends, relationships, and even my overall outlook on life. I had gone many years being a stubborn, angry person. All that mattered to me was acquiring cocaine, and then worrying about where and when I was going to get more of it.
Sobriety requires an attitude shift. The power of positivity cannot be understated. Once I began to work on my mental health and the way that I reacted in certain situations, I was able to start seeing progress.
It’s going to take a fight, but if you are ready for that fight, you can absolutely achieve sobriety. Here’s what I did in order to make it work.
How Cocaine Addiction Begins
I grew up in a family of alcoholics. I wasn’t exposed much to drug abuse, however, alcohol abuse was a common thread. My parents were drinkers and had a very tense relationship. I didn’t get a lot of positive reinforcement as a kid, and it led to a lot of the emotional issues I struggled with as an adult.
When I was in middle school, my friends and I started stealing alcohol from my parents. Alcohol became an escape for me. It was an escape from family and school life. I dabbled with other drugs throughout high school, namely marijuana and psychedelics.
By the time I first tried cocaine, I was the perfect candidate for addiction. I knew the first time I tried it that it was going to be my drug of choice. I loved everything about it.
For the first year or so, it was all one big party. Then, slowly but surely, I ended up homeless and hopelessly addicted. The idea of quitting cocaine never entered my mind.
How Cocaine Changes Your Personality
Substance abuse completely changes the way that your brain interacts with the rest of your body. Your brain has a reward system that is drastically interrupted when you introduce it to illicit substances.
You require more and more of the drug to function normally. You deplete your brain of dopamine and suffer terrible consequences as a result.
Despite cocaine’s reputation as a social drug, it made me less and less social over time. When I started using cocaine, I used to enjoy doing it with people. We would stay up all night having long, drawn-out conversations that went nowhere. When I reached addiction status, I didn’t want to share it with anyone. More for me!
Cocaine Addiction Leaves You Broken
Once I became a full-blown cocaine addict, I had no hope for recovery. My life was a mess, and I knew it. Drug abuse is very often a distraction. Very often, drugs and alcohol are an escape for people who don’t want to face life’s responsibilities. Whenever I had to face the reality of my situation, it was a gut punch.
I knew I was going downhill fast, but as long as I had cocaine to distract me from that fact, I was okay. Or so I thought. Drug abuse had broken me long ago, but I was choosing to remain broken. Quitting cocaine was not on my radar at all. It took me hitting bottom to finally decide to try and get clean.
How Bad Is Cocaine Withdrawal?
When I first attempted to quit cocaine, I only lasted about four days. I tried to do it on my own, but the withdrawal symptoms broke me. Cocaine withdrawal symptoms are brutal and just as uncomfortable as any other form of withdrawal.
While cocaine withdrawal is not fatal in itself, it can send you to a very dark place mentally.
Common cocaine withdrawal symptoms include agitation, restlessness, depression, and a general feeling of discomfort. The part that was the worst for me was the depression. As I mentioned above, once your brain gets used to having cocaine all the time, it can’t function normally without it.
The Darkest Night Before the Dawning Day
I went through some extremely dark thoughts. I even suffered from suicidal ideation, which is common with withdrawal. There are some addicts who do in fact commit suicide while going through withdrawal.
The physical symptoms are uncomfortable, but the most dangerous withdrawal symptoms are all n your head: the mental aspect of stopping heavy cocaine use is what can break you.
After a few attempts at doing it on my own, I realized that I needed to do it under medical supervision.
Seeking Treatment For the Devil’s Dandruff
I had finally gotten to a point where I wanted to move on from my cocaine addiction, but I wasn’t sure how to properly go about it. Cocaine withdrawal terrified me, but so did the idea of continuing my cocaine use.
I did a little bit of research, and South Shores Detox seemed like the place for me. I went to a couple of support groups before entering treatment, and it helped out tremendously.
By going to a few meetings during my active cocaine addiction, I was given some insight into what to expect in rehab. Nothing was sugarcoated.
I was told that I wouldn’t be able to completely avoid all of the discomfort associated with cocaine withdrawal, but it would all be worth it. I was going to go through a rollercoaster of emotion, but it would all be worth it.
If you want to quit cocaine, you have to put in the work. It’s as simple as that. I haven’t met many people during my journey who took shortcuts to recovery. It’s not something you can cheat at. Honesty and accountability is what it’s all about.
Get Professional Help: You Can’t Do It All Alone
A lot of addicts believe that they can either get clean on their own or find a way to use drugs or alcohol in moderation. In my experience, this does not prove successful very often, if ever.
Professional support in the form of addiction medicine and the resources they offer at a solid rehab program can give you insight into yourself that you can’t get by yourself. We all have a skewed way of looking at ourselves and our issues.
Oftentimes, it takes an outside force to tell you what you need to hear, not what you want. When I got to South Shores, I had intense cravings during my initial detox for coke. The cocaine cravings didn’t entirely go away after detox, but each day they got less and less. It took nearly a month before I was able to go five or ten minutes without thinking of cocaine.
Finding The Right Support System
I had virtually zero support system during the height of my cocaine use. I had engaged in substance abuse for so long that all the positive people in my life were gone. I didn’t have a whole lot of family support, either. I was pretty much left to my own devices.
Narcotics Anonymous is where I eventually found the support system that helped me get to where I am today.
Through my experience in support groups, I was able to develop healthy coping skills to deal with the repeated cocaine cravings I had during the initial period of sobriety. It was a constant battle.
During those first few weeks, I was living a minute-by-minute battle with substance abuse. I fantasized about escaping from inpatient treatment to go and get high. My emotions and thoughts were all over the place, but I stayed the course.
Coping Skills: The Little Things To Help You Quit Cocaine
No one gets through addiction recovery without coping skills. There are plenty of times when you will be tested. How you react to those tests makes all the difference in your sobriety. I learned in recovery that I am what you would call an adrenaline junkie.
Using cocaine gave me that adrenaline rush that I desired. Early in my recovery, I took up mountain biking. It helped fill the void that cocaine used to fill.
Staying busy, exercising, and meditation are also ways that I combat my cocaine addiction. I am always on the move, but I also try to stay regimented. I keep a pretty normal schedule, which is something that I need to keep me in check. Despite my taste for thrills and adventure, I try to remain as grounded as possible.
Treatment Options Are Available For All Addicts
No matter where you are at with your addiction, there are a lot of things that you can do to get started on the road to recovery. Cocaine addiction is complex. Even when I am having a good stretch, I still have dreams about doing cocaine.
I wake up feeling guilty, and it can throw me off. I understand that it is a constant battle, and I do everything within my power to not give in when I feel weak.
It’s okay to be weak. The best thing I can say to anyone trying to quit cocaine is that the process won’t be perfect.
Whatever addiction you are struggling with, there will be times when you feel some slippage. Relapse is a part of the process, and I’ve met a lot of people who were able to maintain their recovery following multiple relapses.
Be The Change: Quit Cocaine Once And For All
People can change for the better. I’ve seen it countless times through my recovery journey. I’ve met people who were at rock bottom and were able to rebuild their lives. The only reason they were able to do it is because they put in the work. That is the key to a successful recovery.
I owe a lot to South Shores and what they were able to do for me. I don’t take it for granted. Every day that I am sober, it’s because of my time at South Shores and everything that I learned there.
I feel that I am still a student of recovery to this day. I am still learning. I am still fighting. If you’re ready to fight, maybe it’s time to take that critical first move and pick up the phone to get support.